Metallic cover.



0. R. POWLER.

METALLIC GOVEB- Y I AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 2a. 1908.

Pate/111366. May 18, 1909.`

UNITED STATESy PATENT OFFICE.

ORA R. FOWLER, OF SAGINAW, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK G. PALMERTON, 0F SAGINAW,

, MICHIGAN.

METALLIC COVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1909.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORA R. Fowl-JEH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements lin Metallic Covers 3 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to. make and use the same.

My invention relates to metallic covers for pails and other receptacles equipped with bails.

One object is to provide a cover having a recessed or cutaway portion to afford a clearance for the bail and its connected parts.

Another object is the provision of a cover which is unbreakable, which will not split and which cannot be surreptitiously removed and replaced without leaving an indication of such removal.

Still another object is to make a strong, dust and dirt proof cover which will permit the receptacles to be superimposed one upon the other and will maintain the contents of the receptacles clean and fresh.

The cover is more particularly designed for pails adapted to contain candy, lard, jelly, syrup, grease, stock-foods and thev like.

In the candy trade particularly the pails have been closed with wooden covers. These pails are manufactured with the bail attached, the covers being loose or separate. The candy manufacturer purchases a stock of pails and after filling these with candy, secures the covers in place with nails or double pointed tacks. Frequently, the wooden covers split when being fastened on, which often makes it necessary to remove the broken cover and substitute a new one therefor, resulting in a loss of time and money because the broken cover cannot be used again. The greatest disadvantage, however, results from the fact that drayrnen or railroad men will pry open the cover or remove a piece thereof, and help themselves to the contents, afterward replacing` the cover. The consignee of, say one or two hundred pails will receipt for them in good order, thus releasing the railway company. The small retailer, however, on receiving a ail which does not contain a full amount o candy, (generally about lbs.) promptly deducts the cost of the candy removed, from the amount of his bill, which deducted amount must be set down to profit and loss by the wholesaler and often represents the amount of his profit from the sale. Often, too, the wooden covers break in transit owing to the superimposed weight of other pails, which permits the railway employees to help themselves to the contents. My object in using a metallic cover is to prevent these claims for shortage because the cover cannot be removed and replaced without indicating that the contents has been tampered with owing to the fact that the fastenings once removed and re laced remain loose.

y cover will permit pails to be stacked one on top of the other without breakage and furthermore, may be used by the retailer to exclude dust, dirt and other extraneous material from the goods, after the package has been opened.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view showing my invention applied to a pail. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the cover and Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

The cover comprises a depressed head A provided with radiating corrugations (l), (1)', to strengthen the cover. The periphery of the head is equipped with an upwardly projecting lor raised wall (2) terminating at its upper edge in an outwardly projecting annular ring (3) from the outer circumference of which depends a flange (4). This construction forms an inverted annular groove adapted to receive the upper edge of the pail.

In my construction, I am enabled to make the cover of a comparatively light weight sheet metal because the radiating corrugations afford the necessary strength. The height of the wall (2) is but slight as the pails are filled nearly full and the head setting down in the pail would, by engaging the contents, prevent the cover from seating properly if the wall was deep.

While others may have devised covers similar to that above described, such covers are not adapted for application to pails or other receptacles provided with bails for the reason that the depending flanges will catch upon the ears or eyes of the bail, or crowd the bail itself so as to render it useless.

Users of pails have long desired a cover which will prevent theft, which will be strong and durable, and which will serve to keep the contents clean and fresh. The above described cover, however, could not "be applied to. apail becauseY oi the. presence of the bail. It is my intention to provide a. cover of this nature Which can be so a plied and to this end, I recess or cut awaythe depending flange (4) at diametrically opposite points, as. at (52) to afford a clearance forthe ears to Which the bail is attached; to accommodate the eyes of the bail as the latter isl moved in the arch of a circle and to avoidcrowding the bail itself. The particular shape of; recess is semi-circular as shown, Which avoids the formation of sharp corners, liable to be bent outward and interfere With the operation of the bail. The recess isA cut high enough to permit the eye of the bail to clear the cover throughout the movement of the bail.

The cover may be fastened' to the pail by nails or double pointed tacks in the same manner and with the same tools as are now employed in fastening Wooden covers in place. The inverted groove and depressed head constitute a :firm seat and the package is practically air and dirt proof.

In shipping, the covers may be nested one Within the other to occupy a minimum of space, and when applied to the pails, the bottom of one kpail fits Within the upstanding Wall (2) on the cover, thus economizing space, the covers by reason of the corrugations being strong enough to support several ails. p Another great advantage resulting from recessing the llange is that it makesl the flange flexible. The pail openings do not always run exactly even and a cover having an un-I recessed depending liange could not be made to fit pails diiiering slightly in the size of their openings, but any cover equipped with its recessed iiange can be placed on such pails with ease because of the yield and ilexibility of the lange and the fact that the inner Wall' esem (2); is; of but depth. This also: trates; the nesting of the covers. Y

Another advantage arising from the use of a cover having a recessed outer Harige, as described, is that the cover can only be put on the pails one position, namely?, the

recesses above. the ears. This prohibits an unauthorized person from entirely removing the cover, removing a part of the contents. and replacing the cover Without detection because the fastenings will remain loose after the cover has once been removedl and the cover cannot be turned tofbring a new surface for the, fastening means to take into. Also if the fasteningmeans are removed from their original positionsl the holes in the cover will disclose the fact that the goods have been tampered With. Y

The cover is ofv such rigidity that when one fastening is removed the cover cannot be flexed or bent to allow the removal of the contents of the package.

I-Iaving thus fully disclosed my invention, What I claim as ne-W is The combination'v With a pail havingy ears thereon, and a bail, the: ends of the bail connected to the ears, of a cover havingI a depressed corrugated head, a raised Wall around the periphery of the head, an outwardly projecting ring carried by the Wal-l, and a flange depending from the ring and overlying thel outer face of the pail, the flange only being recessed and lending ilexibility to the cover, the ears and the ends of the bail being afforded clearance by the recesses in the flange.

In testimony whereof, I ailixl my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

l ORA R. FOWIJER.`

Witnesses:

RALPH S. WARFIELD,

F. GE. PALMEnTo-N. 

